Chapter 51. The Headquarters of the Inquisitors
Armandy followed Radel and Gusto into the temple.
It was smaller than the Grand Temple in the capital, Levarsen, but it was massive compared to the Supreme Deity Order temples in other cities.
'It's even bigger than I thought.'
Armandy's face darkened as he got closer to the interior of the temple.
However, contrary to his expectation that it would be dark and suspicious somewhere, the inside of the temple had a bright atmosphere.
"Good day, Brother Gusto."
Priests recognized Gusto and greeted him. Apprentice holy knights passing by with swords also spoke to him in a friendly manner.
"Look who it is! Gusto, how did you get out of the academy?"
"The seniors said that once you go in there, you can't come out for a month."
Gusto introduced his colleagues to Radel.
"Your Highness, these are my peers. Everyone, greet him. This is His Highness, Radel Silvert Credian."
"Good day, Your Highness!"
The temple resounded with the disciplined greetings of the apprentice holy knights.
"Is Gusto causing you any trouble at the academy?"
"He's a guy who tries to act all serious, so I was worried Your Highness might have found him rude……."
The apprentice holy knights threw various questions at Radel.
Questions also poured in for Gusto.
"Have you improved your skills?"
"You must have fought with magicians at the academy, right? How was it?"
"I want to duel a magician too."
The apprentice holy knights, curious about the skills of the academy students, glanced at Armandy.
Their eyes seemed to be asking for something, so Armandy desperately avoided their gazes.
Just then, someone quietly approached them.
"The temple is noisy."
It was a man with an extremely tired expression.
The silver pendant around his neck indicated his status.
"Bishop."
The apprentice holy knights, including Gusto, all bowed their heads in respect.
Bishop Lambrado also gave Radel a slight bow before speaking.
"So Prince Radel Silvert Credian has come. It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Lambrado Altante, the Bishop of Marcellent."
His tone was dry, but it had a certain weight to it.
A deep fatigue could also be felt.
Radel also extended his hand and greeted him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bishop Lambrado. I am indebted to Gusto."
The Bishop chuckled at Radel's behavior, treating him like Gusto's parent.
He shook hands with Radel and gave Gusto a look.
"Thank you for thinking so well of him. Gusto, I have something to discuss with His Highness separately, so go and attend to your duties."
"Understood."
Gusto nodded without any change in expression and then left with Armandy.
"Am-am I going too?"
Armandy's face turned pale, but Gusto paid him no mind. He even introduced Armandy to his peers like this.
"He's a friend who is very good at magic at the academy."
"Is that so?"
The apprentice holy knights, who had been curious about Armandy's identity from the start, drooled.
"It's been my wish to duel an academy student."
"Instead of this, how about you come to the training ground with us."
In the blink of an eye, Armandy was being dragged to the training ground.
It was the beginning of an extreme experience.
* * *
Bishop Lambrado naturally guided Radel.
"This is the chapel. If space is lacking, we open the outdoor garden to hold services."
"There must be many believers in Marcellent."
"Since the city is large, that tends to be the case."
The two of them walked through the temple, making small talk.
Before long, there was no one left around them.
'This can't be a coincidence.'
The appearance of a bishop, one of the few in the Empire, as soon as Radel arrived, and the fact that he had come to the temple in the first place was due to Gusto's suggestion.
Radel was curious about what Bishop Lambrado would talk about, but he silently followed his guidance to the inner part of the temple.
"Are the Holy Knights always stationed at the Marcellent temple?"
"As a rule, the Holy Knights reside in the Grand Temple in the capital, but they also train at the Marcellent temple. Marcellent is a geographically good place for training."
He meant that the rich and pure mana flowing from the Marcellent mountain range was helpful for training.
'Is that how the academy was built too?'
He wondered if the reason the academy was first established in Marcellent was similar to the Supreme Deity Order's.
While Radel was lost in thought, the two arrived at a dead-end wall.
Standing in front of the empty wall, Bishop Lambrado turned to look at Radel.
"From now on, please do not be too surprised."
Bishop Lambrado placed his hand on the wall and recited a short prayer.
Then, a white light spread out from around him.
Shaaa.
Although it was a brief moment, Radel felt a strong power of blessing.
It was the unique energy of divine power.
Gusto also had quite a high level of divine power, but the purity of a bishop's divine power was clearly different.
Rumble.
As the light faded, the wall slowly moved, revealing a hidden passage.
Inside the passage, a staircase leading underground could be seen.
'Just as Kirio and Gusto said. He's calm.'
Bishop Lambrado carefully observed Radel, who was not flustered even in the sudden situation.
Radel, after examining the passage, pointed inside with his finger.
"Should I go down here?"
"That's right."
Radel swung his staff to summon light and entered without delay. His fearless demeanor was enough to surprise even Bishop Lambrado inwardly.
'It feels a bit like the secret passage in Marcellent.'
Having experienced Hayden's secret passage, Radel was familiar with hidden paths.
And he also had faith that a bishop of the Supreme Deity Order would not take him to a truly dangerous place.
Radel carefully watched his step and went down the stairs.
Drip, drip.
Water fell from the ceiling.
Hearing the sound of the water droplets falling to the floor, Radel could tell that this place was quite deep.
'What could be worth hiding in such a deep place?'
The treasure of the Supreme Deity Order?
Or…… a hidden secret?
While Radel was guessing various things inwardly, the two reached the end of the stairs.
There was a single door there, and even to the unknowledgeable Radel, its thickness seemed unusual.
A black door made of thick iron.
A strange sound was coming from the crack in the door.
- Grrr
Is there a monster inside?
"This way."
Bishop Lambrado had Radel go behind him and took out a bottle of holy water from his pocket.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Then he opened the bottle of holy water and began to sprinkle it on Radel. Even Radel couldn't help but be flustered by the sudden dousing of cold holy water.
"No…… Bishop?"
"That should do it. I heard from Gusto that blessings don't work on Your Highness, so I had no choice but to do this. It is dangerous to go in just like that."
At Bishop Lambrado's serious words, Radel could now guess what was inside the door.
What could be worth preparing for by sprinkling holy water?
Creak.
Bishop Lambrado opened the door.
What spread out before them was an endless prison.
* * *
As soon as they entered, a vile demonic energy rushed in.
It was such a foul energy that it would have been difficult to breathe if he hadn't been covered in holy water.
"So the abandoned prince has come!"
The ones locked in the prison were not monsters.
They were numerous people.
"Kikik! How truly pathetic!"
Radel looked at the people shouting from behind the bars.
They looked similar to the fallen necromancer that Professor Lilian had shown on the first day of Combat Magic class.
Not only did they have pale skin and blue veins, but some also had the marks of devils on their bodies.
They were tied to chairs one by one, and most of them were constantly muttering in an unknown language.
Bishop Lambrado's hand pointed at them.
"Everyone here are devil worshipers. Those who have sold their souls to devils, those who have offered people as sacrifices, and that one over there is possessed by an evil spirit."
"Do you mean heretics?"
"That's right. They are those whom the Inquisitors have risked their lives to capture."
Bishop Lambrado's expression looked even more tired as he looked around the prison.
"If we were to end their lives, they might find another sacrifice and move on, so we are keeping them locked up like this."
Radel felt that everyone here, though blindfolded and bound, was strangely looking at him.
One of the heretics locked in the prison writhed and laughed loudly.
"Kihi, the one who was never chosen by God until the end. Kihikik! Mother, father, and siblings will all turn their backs on you, and you will die alone and lonely!"
It was an interesting story. It was because Radel had already died like that once.
To be precise, he had almost died.
Still, at the quite accurate words, Radel approached the heretic.
"What happens next?"
"You will die a miserable death!"
"No, not about dying. Don't you know what happens after that?"
"Your blood will soak the ground, and you will fall to the ground without even being able to cry out!"
He already experienced that.
Radel felt his curiosity gradually fading.
"Don't you want revenge? Don't you want to see the blood of those who abandoned you? I will help you."
"In what way will you help?"
When Radel asked, he chuckled and whispered.
"I will avenge you on your brother. I will make him suffer more than the pain you received."
"Be careful, Your Highness. They are ones who tempt souls with wicked words."
Bishop Lambrado warned Radel.
However, contrary to his worries, Radel's heart was not moved at all.
"Hmm, it's not very tempting, so I think it'll be fine."
Seeing that he couldn't tell the future, it seemed the heretic was nothing special.
And tormenting Leon was not what Radel wanted. He even felt a little sorry for them, wondering if they had made a pact with a devil just to say things like that.
Just then, a familiar notification sound reached Radel's ear.
Ding.
[An urgent quest occurs!]
[A Prayer for the Fallen]
You have come to the headquarters of the Inquisitors.
You have been recognized by the Supreme Deity Order and have been invited to the hidden underground prison of the Inquisitors.
The fallen ones there are pitiful souls who have turned their backs on God and chosen the devil.
Let us offer a sincere prayer for those poor souls who have cursed God and abandoned their lives.
Condition: A sincere prayer
Success: The favor of the Bishop of Marcellent, a gift from the Bishop of Marcellent
Failure: The disappointment of the Bishop of Marcellent
A quest had appeared.
'Pray here?'
A prayer, out of the blue?
Radel pondered what to do after seeing the content of the quest, but he had no choice but to do it.
Failing the quest wouldn't cause anything terribly dangerous, but it said the Bishop of Marcellent would be disappointed, which made him feel uneasy for some reason.
'It's better if the affinity goes up.'
It also said he would get a gift upon success, so Radel knelt on the floor.
"Your Highness?"
Bishop Lambrado seemed surprised by Radel's sudden action.
"Bishop, please allow me to pray here. Seeing those pitiful souls, I cannot bear it without imploring the Supreme Deity."
"……I see. Understood."
Radel closed his eyes and concentrated.
Then, he recalled the sensation from when he had done the quest for three days in the Grand Temple and began to pray.
How long had it been since he started praying?
Slowly, sounds of agony began to be heard.